Iowa, county records

Lyon County, Iowa Public Records

Find the right office in Lyon County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

Start here

Most requested Lyon County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

Filter by type

Showing 5 official sources

Official

County court

Iowa Federal Cases

Iowa has two federal trial courts, the Northern District at Cedar Rapids and Sioux City and the Southern District at Des Moines; their case files are searched through PACER.

uscourts.gov
Open official site Iowa Federal Cases
Official

Vital records

Iowa Death and Vital Records

Iowa HHS Vital Records issues certified birth, death and marriage records filed since July 1, 1880, by mail, in person or through VitalChek, for a fee per copy.

hhs.iowa.gov
Open official site Iowa Death and Vital Records

Local record guide

About public records in Lyon County

County profile

Lyon County at a glance

State
Iowa
County seat
Rock Rapids
Population
11,934
Area
588 sq mi
Founded
1851
Cities and towns
6

Lyon County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Lyon County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Lyon County.

Police Departments. Lyon County is served by Lyon County Sheriff's Office and several municipal police departments, including the Rock Rapids Police Department and the George Police Department.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Lyon County Sheriff's Office, located at 309 East Hoover Street in Rock Rapids, Iowa 51246, is the primary law enforcement agency for unincorporated areas of Lyon County. Lyon County Jail, operated by the Sheriff's Office at the same address, houses inmates awaiting trial and those serving short-term sentences. Municipal police departments serve the incorporated communities within Lyon County: Rock Rapids Police Department provides law enforcement services to Lyon County seat, while smaller communities may contract with the Sheriff's Office or maintain part-time officers. Arrest records and incident reports in Lyon County are subject to Iowa's public records law, codified in Iowa Code Chapter 22, which establishes that most law enforcement records are open for public inspection unless they fall under specific exemptions such as ongoing investigations or confidential informant information. Lyon County Sheriff works closely with regional law enforcement agencies and participates in the Northwest Iowa Law Enforcement Task Force for major investigations and drug enforcement operations.

Arrest Records. They are maintained by the arresting agency, primarily the County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.

The jail is located at 410 S Boone St, Rock Rapids, IA 51246. You can also call them at (712) 472-8300 to inquire about an inmate.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Lyon County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Lyon County

Old mine sites
69
Sites with no status in the records
2
Past producers, now closed
69
Producing when recorded
10
Main minerals
construction sand and gravel
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
37
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
gravel pit, sand pit
Maps surveyed
1962 to 1972
Records behind them
124 records for 118 sites, the rest are the same working written down more than once

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 81 mine sites inside the county: 69 past producers, now closed, 10 sites producing when the record was made, 2 sites with no status in the record; the old survey maps add 37 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The mineral the records name is construction sand and gravel.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. Coal was mined in Iowa from the 1840s to 1994.

Rock Rapids George Lester Inwood Larchwood Little Rock Doon Alvord N 10 miles
Lyon County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. The small open circles with a name are the towns and the pale shapes around the edge are the neighbouring counties, both from the Census Bureau. Hover a dot for its name.
Iowa mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Lyon County (41 shown, 77 unnamed on the map)

Iowa abandoned mine maps ranks every county and town in the state by the workings recorded inside it, names the office that holds the mine maps, and says what to do if the ground moves.

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Labor Department file

Wage and hour cases in Lyon County

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division closed 6 investigations in Lyon County since fiscal 2005 and recorded $118 in back wages agreed for 2 workers. The county is the one the Census Bureau puts each employer's ZIP code in. Snapshot of April 22, 2026; a case here is a finding by the Division, not a court judgment.

Investigations closed
6
Back wages agreed
$118
Workers due back wages
2
Civil money penalties
$0
Employers on the record
5
EmployerCityCasesBack wagesWorkers
Huyser Obbink Construction, Inc.Inwood1$971
The Boyle Company, Inc.Rock Rapids2$211
Rock Rapids Kids Club, Inc.Rock Rapids2$00
George Groceries, Inc.George1$00
Trillium Healthcare GROUP, LLCRock Rapids1$00

Every employer on the Lyon County record, by back wages agreed; 1 employer has have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record in this row. The Iowa wage theft records page ranks the whole state.

Straight answers

Lyon County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Lyon County, Iowa?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Lyon County Sheriff or a city police department in Lyon County. Ask that agency for its record.

How do I get a criminal background check in Lyon County, Iowa?

The Iowa criminal history record comes from the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation. Name based request by mail, fax, email or in person with first name, last name and exact date of birth; the online request site is down for an upgrade and phone requests are not taken. Fee: $15 per last name.

How can I look up sex offenders in Lyon County, Iowa?

Search the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Lyon County, Iowa?

Register with the county auditor or through the Iowa Secretary of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. Pre registration closes 15 days before the election; you may also register and vote on election day at the polling place for your address with proof of identity and residence.

How do I look up property records in Lyon County, Iowa?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Lyon County are kept by the Lyon County recorder. Property values are set by the local assessor, and tax bills come from the county treasurer. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Lyon County, Iowa?

Certified birth and death certificates for Iowa come from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Statistics. County Recorders can issue certified copies of all Iowa births from 1986 to the present and of deaths and marriages from 1954 to the present; earlier records come from the county where the event occurred. By mail or in person at Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health Statistics, Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor, 321 E. 12th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075, at a County Recorder, or online through VitalChek, the only authorized third party vendor. Fee: $20.00 for each certified copy.

How do I find business license records in Lyon County, Iowa?

Business entity filings are searched with the Iowa Secretary of State. Iowa does not have a general business license; licensing depends on the nature of the business or occupation.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.